The pre-release reactions haven’t been kind to “Mercy”, the latest film from screenlife innovator Timur Bekmambetov. The critical shalacking it’s getting is especially surprising considering the star power of the movie’s two leads, Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. Both are talented and charismatic performers who almost always make whatever movie they are in better.

The good news is “Mercy” isn’t nearly the unmitigated disaster it has been made out to be. It’s an easily digestible science-fiction thriller that doesn’t require much from its audience. It seems well enough aware of its own outlandishness, yet it takes itself just serious enough that we do too. It results in a movie that’s about as entertaining as it is preposterous.

But that’s not to say “Mercy” is a great movie or even a memorable one. It’s built around a silly premise that seeks to explore both the potential for good and the dangers of modern technology. Unfortunately its treatment is surface-level at best. Significantly worse is the script which frantically tells a story that hinges on an endless array of conveniences and contrivances. And a late, seemingly random twist only adds to the silliness.

Set in 2029, the movie opens with robbery-homicide detective Chris Raven (Pratt) waking up in a room, strapped to a chair, and alone with Judge Maddox (Ferguson), an artificial intelligence adjudicator for the Mercy Court program. An exposition-heavy first act hurriedly establishes what the Mercy Court is and Raven’s connection to it. Essentially, the Mercy Count is a relatively new way of “quickly and efficiently” judging crimes. It was created to help clean up the crime-ridden Los Angeles, and Raven was one of its biggest proponents.

Here’s how it works: Due to substantial evidence, the accused are assumed guilty and forced to appear before an AI judge where they are given 90 minutes to bring their guilt probability down to 92%. To prove their innocence they’re granted access to a vast amount of digital data gathered through internet trails, social media accounts, surveillance cameras, cell phones, etc. If they fail to reach the threshold by the time the 90 minutes runs out, they will be executed on the spot.

So why is Detective Raven there? It turns out he has been found guilty of brutally murdering his wife Nicole (Annabelle Wallis) earlier that morning. Overwhelming evidence against him has set his guilt probability to 97.5%. Yet while the events of the last several hours are hazy to him, Chris is sure he didn’t kill his wife. So he begins making his case to Judge Maddox, employing the help of partner Jaq (Kali Reis), his close friend Rob (Chris Sullivan), and his daughter Britt (Kylie Rogers). What he uncovers sends the film careening down an unexpected path.

Most of the story is told using a blend of screenlife and traditional drama. After rushing us through the setup, Bekmambetov slows things down just a tad to let his mystery unfold. Yet even it feels pushed along faster than necessary. Chris turns into a digital super sleuth, parsing through data at lightning speed and making out-of-the-blue connections that often don’t make sense. To its credit, the film holds your interest throughout. But it seems like there is much missing in the buildup and in how it all plays out.

Surprisingly the action really ramps up in the final act as the story’s far-fetched twist opens the way to a far-fetched action sequence. And maybe I had succumbed to the craziness, but the bonkers finish was a lot of fun. Absurd and underdeveloped, but fun nonetheless. And that describes “Mercy” as a whole. The blueprint is there for something a lot better than what we get. It’s not without entertainment value. But the untapped potential leaves us thinking more about what might have been.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Timothée Chalamet has been doing some incredible work lately. If you don’t believe me, just ask him. Chalamet lets it fly in his latest feature “Marty Supreme”, a whirlwind dramedy from director and co-writer Josh Safdie. It’s a movie where everything revolves around Chalamet’s full-throttle performance – a frenetic turn that sees the 29-year-old star working hard to keep up with his director’s furious pacing.

“Marty Supreme” is fueled by a chaotic energy that keeps us glued to every wild, unpredictable moment. At the same time, that very manic propulsion rarely slows down enough for Chalamet to find the humanity in his character. Make no mistake, his performance is electric. But the character goes from borderline charming in his arrogance and self-absorption to utterly loathsome and insufferable. It’s only at the very end that we get a different shade of him, but by then it’s too late to matter.

Chalamet plays 23-year-old Marty Mauser, a character loosely inspired by American table tennis player Marty Reisman. Set in 1952, Marty is a scrawny, bespectacled New Yorker with an unquenchable confidence in his own perceived greatness. Marty sells shoes at his uncle’s shoe store, but he sees it as beneath him. Instead, he believes he’s destined to be on a Wheaties box as the best table tennis player in the world.

While Marty may be a tremendous table tennis player, it quickly becomes evident he’s a terrible person. In Marty’s world he is most important, and getting what he wants is all that matters, no matter who he crushes in the process. He’s a narcissist and a shameless self-promoter who uses people to his own advantage, whether they’re his mother, his best friend, or a young married woman named Rachel (Odessa A’zion) who’s carrying his baby. They’re all tools Marty uses to get what he wants.

The first leg of Marty’s run towards greatness begins in London at the table tennis British Open. There he sets his eye on the tournament favorite, Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), Japan’s table tennis champion. But Marty is never out of selling mode, and he begins shopping himself around as the next big thing. In the process he woos Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), a retired actress trapped in an unhappy marriage to a wealthy businessman named Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary). Marty manages to get Kay in his bed, but doesn’t do as well getting money out of Milton.

After disappointment in London, Marty’s whole world becomes about getting to the World Championship in Tokyo. He spends the summer performing halftime acts for the Harlem Globetrotters. But he will need more money if he’s going to make the trip to Japan. And Marty shows he’s willing to do anything to make that happen, no matter how reckless, underhanded, or cruel it may be.

As Safdie ushers Marty from one rambunctious situation to another, his antics get more outrageous and treacherous. Yet as they do, a nagging question kept coming to mind. How can so many people (either emotionally or professionally) buy into such a glaringly obvious self-obsessed fraud? Clearly Safdie and his co-writer Ronald Bronstein want us to see Marty as a cunning salesman and a slick con artist. But too often characters fall for his manipulation in such ways that make them look like buffoons.

Perhaps the biggest casualties of this are the two key women in the story. A’zion gives a superb performance as possibly the only sympathetic character in a movie full of bad people. But the script strips her of any agency and turns her into a loyal puppy dog who will do anything Marty wants, no matter how horrible he treats her. Kay is just as maddening despite a terrific Gwyneth Paltrow turn. Her relationship with Marty is never convincing mainly because she too has to appear hapless for Marty to get what he wants.

Thankfully some of the blindness subsides later in the second half as a handful of characters catch on to Marty’s flagrant nonsense. It adds some welcomed tension and needed conflict to a story that moves so fast that we rarely get a moment to process things. Still, you can’t help but be drawn to the chaos as relayed through Safdie’s kinetic direction and Chalamet’s aggressive theatrics. It keeps us locked into every crazy turn the story takes. Yet it’s also a big reason Marty’s final act conversion doesn’t quite work. After over two hours of despicable actions, he needs more than the final ten minutes to earn our sympathy.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

Kelly Reichardt’s latest film “The Mastermind” just might be her very best. It’s a movie that highlights the filmmaker’s most noteworthy strength, namely the hushed realism that defines her perspective. It’s also a movie that includes her most frustrating habit which is her tendency of being observational to a fault. Yet without question, her strength outweigh the frustration in this mostly absorbing character study posing as a crime drama.

“The Mastermind” is the second 2025 film to feature a brilliantly understated Josh O’Connor lead performance (the other being “Rebuilding” – don’t miss that one). Here he plays James Blaine “J.B.” Mooney, an unemployed husband and father of two living in the sleepy Massachusetts suburb of Framingham. The story is set in 1970 with the growing discontent over the Vietnam War often playing out in the background. It’s a small detail that relays the pulse of the nation. But Reichardt also uses it as a larger scaled reflection of J.B.’s plight.

We first meet J.B. at the Framingham Museum of Art with his wife Terri (a wonderfully subdued Alana Haim) and their two sons, Tommy (Jasper Thompson) and Carl (Sterling Thompson). It looks like a fun family outing. But in reality J.B. is using their trip to case out the museum for a heist. In vintage Thomas Crown form, J.B. masterminds a full-proof plan and recruits other thieves to execute it. But when one gets cold feet, J.B. is forced to join Guy Hickey (Eli Glen) and Ronnie Gibson (Javion Allen) on the job.

To no surprise, the heist doesn’t go off as seamless as planned, but the trio does escape with four valuable Arthur Dove paintings. The three go their separate ways, with J.B. hiding the paintings until he can find a buyer. And this is where the bulk of the movie unfolds. Reichardt pulls inspiration from classic heist movies and the real-life 1972 Worcester Art Museum robbery in presenting the heist itself. But the job only takes up a small chunk of the movie.

Instead Reichardt is more interested in the aftermath which sees J.B. in way over his head. Warning signs were everywhere before they set foot into the museum. He has to con his mom into giving him money to fund the job. His driver bails on him the day before the heist. He even forgets his boys are out of school that day, forcing him to find a sitter. Yet he carries on – a sign of his bad judgment and self-delusion. But things only get worse after the heist. And the more things go awry, the more Reichardt’s genre reinvention surprises.

Reichardt offers more insight through J.B.’s bumpy family dynamic. We see he’s a disappointment to his pompous and locally prominent father, Bill (Bill Camp) but is secretly coddled, often financially, by his adoring mother, Sarah (Hope Davis). Meanwhile his wife Terri buries her frustrations the best she can. She knows her husband’s shortcomings yet silently serves as the backbone of the family, working a day job while managing the household. Haim isn’t given much to do but she conveys a lot in the moments she has. She impresses enough that I would watch a spin-off movie focused on her character alone.

Equally important is the evocative period design which masterfully recreates the rich textures of 1970 via the sharp eyes of production head Anthony Gasparro and costume genius Amy Roth. It’s all captured through the warmly lit lensing of Christopher Blauvelt. Together they paint a visually alluring canvas that vividly represents the period down to the smallest details – a station wagon’s roll-up rear window, the pull tab on a can of Pepsi, the plastic eggs that held L’eggs Pantyhose.

While most everything in “The Mastermind” clicks, there are a couple of instances where Reichardt’s tendency of overextending a scene comes into play. Studied fans may find purpose in these moments where others might see indulgence. But it’s a small gripe compared to the overall strength of Reichardt’s smart and savvy anti-heist film. From the presentation to the performances to Rob Mazurek’s jazz-fueled score, “The Mastermind” is a film that finds depth and meaning in the most ordinary corners of life. And I found myself hooked from the very start.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Directed by Lasse Hallström and streaming exclusively on Prime Video, “The Map That Leads to You” is a globetrotting young adult romantic drama based on J.P. Monninger’s 2017 novel of the same name. The film is a starring vehicle for Madelyn Cline, a 27-year-old actress with genuine talent but who is still looking for the right movie to showcase it. Unfortunately this isn’t quite it, although it’s certainly not because of her performance.

Cline plays Heather, a young woman from Texas enjoying the final days of a European vacation with her two best friends, Connie (Sofia Wylie) and Amy (Madison Thompson). While on an overnight train trip to Barcelona, Heather meets Jack (KJ Apa), a free-spirited New Zealander who is off on his own adventure. His great grandfather was a soldier during World War II who kept a journal chronicling his time stationed in Europe. To honor him Jack is traveling from place to place, visiting the sites his great grandfather wrote about.

The two don’t immediately hit it off. But after Jack follows the three girls to a Barcelona night club he and Heather start to connect. After bouncing around to a few more locations, Heather ends up leaving her friends and joining Jack on his pilgrimage. In true movie romance fashion, sparks begin to fly and the two end up falling in love. But equally true to formula, their relationship hits a snag which threatens to bring their fairytale romance to a heartbreaking end.

I won’t give away the ending, but no one will be surprised at where the story goes. And unfortunately, the journey there doesn’t really amount to much. There is some decent chemistry between friends and lovers, and the picturesque scenery is pretty to look at. And there is the movie’s lightly treated theme of finding your true self through the prisms of old memories and new relationships. But finding that core meaning is a lot harder than it should be.

The film’s performances are solid throughout, especially from Cline who squeezes everything she can from a fairly derivative character on paper. She’s especially good with Apa, clicking well with his understated charm. Cline also has great chummy rapport with Wylie and Thompson. Sadly Heather’s two friends are mostly superfluous except as plot pieces. They are mostly there to say things the story needs to be said and to listen when the story needs Heather to say something.

The final act throws in one of those annoying yet chronic movie conflicts that could be solved with just a little communication. It sets up the story’s predictable finish that leaves an unfortunate Nicholas Sparks aftertaste. But to Hallström’s credit, he doesn’t go full schmaltz, and he leaves a little bit to our imaginations. That, along with Cline’s confident and capable performance, helps to make “The Map That Leads to You” easy to watch and digest. Streaming now on Prime Video.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

I’m still not sure how, but “M3GAN” turned out to be one of the surprise hits of 2022 both with audiences and critics. It was yet another movie delving into the world of artificial intelligence yet with its own potentially fun twist. Unfortunately the feature never quite hit its marks. It wasn’t scary enough to be good horror, and it never fully embraced the absurdity of its story.

But “M3GAN” made enough money for Universal Studios to green-light a sequel. Sadly “M3GAN 2.0” is a mind-boggling misstep. It’s a movie plagued by baffling choices that’s sure to alienate many established fans while failing to convert any new ones. Returning director Gerard Johnstone ditches the horror genre altogether and instead makes a science fiction action movie. In reality, it’s a grueling two-hour slog, hampered by endless exposition, uninspired action, and a story as emotionless and robotic as the film’s eponymous AI.

Allison Williams returns as Gemma, a high-tech roboticist who created an AI-powered humanoid doll named M3GAN. But when M3GAN gained self-awareness, she began killing anyone who came between her and her human companion, Cady (Violet McGraw). Since those events, Gemma has become a crusader pushing for regulations against AI, especially involving children. Meanwhile her niece Cady is mostly over her encounter with M3GAN, but her relationship with Gemma is a bit complicated.

Elsewhere (and this is where the movie immediately flies off the rails) a secret branch of the United States Army is giving a demonstration of their new secret weapon – an android named AMELIA. Built on technology copied from the original M3GAN, AMELIA is designed to carry out covert infiltration missions and assassinations. But the demonstration goes south after AMELIA reveals herself to be self-aware. She breaks from her mission, kills a key asset, and escapes.

Desperate to regain control of their dangerous AI creation, the military approach Gemma about obtaining another copy of M3GAN’s code. Their plan is to create another android to hunt down the rogue AMELIA (brilliant). But Gemma doesn’t have a copy – or so she thinks. It turns out M3GAN installed a backup of her mind into Gemma’s smart house. When M3GAN finally reveals herself to Gemma, she offers to help stop AMELIA in exchange for a new body.

From there it’s mostly scene after scene of bone-dry exposition as the movie lumbers onward. A few action scenes are thrown in to no effect and there are some vain attempts at humor. Meanwhile the cast of characters struggle to earn our interest. It’s especially tough for Williams who does everything she can to make things interesting and add a human pulse. Sadly “M3GAN 2.0” spends too much time reinventing itself. And the results are near catastrophic. “M3GAN 2.0” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS

Céline Song burst onto the scene with her beautifully bittersweet romantic drama “Past Lives”. Her film released to near universal acclaim and would go on to earn Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. It deserved every bit of the praise. “Past Lives” was a sophisticated and heartfelt feature that brought a talented new filmmaker onto the scene.

Song follows her 2023 gem with “Materialists”, yet another romantic drama but without the lasting grip of her first film. This time she’s working with bigger names in Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. But there’s no Greta Lee caliber standout performance. Johnson is a solid lead in a very Johnson-like role. Evans tones things down a few notches to deliver a fairly standard-issue character. And Pascal is fittingly suave but surprisingly dry with the exception of one lone scene where he delivers dialogue that doesn’t feel right off the page.

Following a brief and unintentionally hokey prologue, “Materialists” kicks off by taking us into the unusual world of high-end big city matchmaking. It’s where we meet Lucy (Johnson), a professional Cupid who works for Adore Matchmaking in downtown Manhattan. Her job is to offer services to struggling singles who are having a hard time finding the love of their lives. In her profession people are measured with sabermetrics. Matches are little more than equations. And if two people check enough boxes, Lucy puts them together with their eventual marriage as her trophy.

Lucy likes her job and by their own peculiar standards she seems to be good at it (we see Lucy and her fellow matchmakers celebrate her 9th client marriage). As far as her personal life, Lucy has remained voluntarily single while setting her own extremely high standards for any man she’ll date. “The next person I date I’m gonna marry,” she says without a moment’s hesitation.

But those standards are challenged when she attends her most recent client’s wedding. It’s there that she meets one of the groomsmen, Harry (Pascal). He’s handsome, confident, gentlemanly, and extremely wealthy. By her company’s stat-driven scale he’s a textbook perfect 10. But as the two are getting acquainted, Lucy is surprised to see John (Evans), an old flame working as a waiter at the wedding reception.

Immediately the table is set for yet another movie love triangle. But thankfully Song isn’t interested in taking us down that well-worn route. Her story explores relationships and the modern big city dating scene. But there’s no macho rivalry with Lucy caught in the middle. Even more, neither Harry or John are bad guys. Instead they represent two very different kinds of relationships. You could say there is a blue-collar versus white-collar dimension to the story. But neither are demonized or unfairly portrayed.

While the movie’s views on dating, love, and especially marriage are all over the map, it makes for an intriguing study of modern perspectives. Interestingly it’s the romantic relationships themselves that are the weakest parts of the story. Lucy’s connection with John feels the most authentic yet it’s also the most derivative. Meanwhile her connection with Harry only occasionally goes deeper than surface level. Far more compelling is a side story involving a client named Sophie (Zoë Winters) and the impact it ultimately has on Lucy.

“Materialists” may disappoint those hoping for another “Past Lives” level feature. It lacks the emotional richness, sincere longing, and heartfelt candor of Song’s magical debut. Yet she remains a thoughtful and keenly observant filmmaker who again brings together insight and craftsmanship. Sadly not everything gels as intended. Feelings are often explained rather than shown. Love is treated more as a concept than something expressed. And the film’s cynicism and earnestness often feels at odds with its more romantic swings. Still it’s all easy to soak in – a testament to what makes Song such a compelling filmmaker. “Materialists” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 3 STARS